Courageous

"Courageous" is a song by contemporary Christian music band Casting Crowns, released by Beach Street Records, Reunion Records, and Provident Label Group. Written by Mark Hall and Matthew West and produced by Mark A. Miller, it was released on July 19, 2011 as the first single from the band's 2011 album Come to the Well. Hall has said the inspiration for the song was at the National Day of Prayer breakfast in 2008. A rock, pop rock and soft rock song, it calls fathers to be better spiritual leaders. "Courageous" was received positively by critics, many of whom praised the song as one of the best off of Come to the Well. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs and Christian AC Indicator charts and also peaked inside the top five on the Hot Christian Songs, Christian CHR, and Soft AC/Inspirational charts. It peaked at number four on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which measures the top twenty-five singles that have not entered the Billboard Hot 100, and number sixteen on the Heatseekers Songs chart. Background and recording According to lead vocalist Mark Hall, the inspiration for "Courageous" came at the National Day of Prayer breakfast in 2008. Casting Crowns was performing at the event and Hall met with Alex Kendrick, who was also a part of the event. The two started talking about various topics until Hall told Kendrick about his church's Bible study program for fathers. Hall said that "our hearts just sort of joined on this passion to see men rise up and be the godly men of the house that God has called us to be". Kendrick mentioned that he wanted a song to be at the end credits of a movie and that "lit [Hall] up". "Courageous" was written by Mark Hall and Matthew West and produced by Mark A. Miller. It was recorded and mixed by Sam Hewitt at Zoo Studio in Franklin, Tennessee, with additional vocals recorded at Eagle's Landing Studio in McDonough, Georgia. The song was mastered by Andrew Mendelson.